NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox baseball team won both games against the Whitman Blues, winning in two different ways — an offensive 17-10 explosion in game one before a grind-it-out 5-3 victory in game two.
How It Happened - Game One
Whitman struck first in the bottom of the first inning, totaling four hits and three runs to take a quick 3-0 lead. But, quickly in the top of the second, the Bruins responded. In a sign of things to come,
Brennan Bates reached via error, later scoring on an
Adam Fulton RBI single to left field. Then,
Kaden Oshiro notched two RBI of his own with a double to left field, tying the overall score, 3-3.
But, the Blues came prepared to fight, following with two home runs in the bottom of the second to take a 5-3 lead.
Evan Balingit countered as the Bruins scored again on a
Jayson Au Hoy sac fly in the third inning—and then in fourth,
Garrett Strube homered out to left field, scoring
Joey Marasco and giving the Bruins the lead at 6-5. The Bruins continued the offensive onslaught as
BJ Tokushima singled to center field to score Balingit again.
Then, Fulton singled to center field to score Tokushima and Bates, with both he and Au Hoy advancing into scoring position on an error — one of five Blues errors in the game. After the top of the fourth, a monstrous inning that featured five runs, five hits, and an error, the Bruins led, 9-5.
Whitman managed to score another run to make the game, 9-6, but Fox continued to strike and secured even runs when Tokushima hit a two-run shot in the top of the fifth to put GFU up, 11-6. The Blues reacted with a two-run homer of their own (one of seven between the two teams in game one) to make the score 11-8.
In the sixth and eighth innings, the Bruins kept their strength as Au Hoy scored a run in each — one on a Fulton sac fly, one on a
Matthew Castillo home run. The Bruins kept the party going with an unearned Marasco run scored on an error in the eighth, giving Fox a 15-8 advantage.
Though the Blues tried to catch up, scoring a run in the bottom of the eighth, the Bruins put those comeback hopes to rest when Marasco recorded his fourth hit of the game on a single to center field to score Fulton and put Fox up 17-9. When all was said and done, the Bruins had scored the most runs against an NWC opponent since an 18-piece in 2018 against Lewis & Clark in a 17-10 victory.
How It Happened - Game Two
After such a high-scoring game in the opener, both teams almost seemed worn out , not putting any crooked numbers on the scoreboard in the opening two innings. However, Whitman took the first run in the bottom of the third on two hits. Fox then tied the score in the top of the fourth when
Andre Butler scored on a wild pitch.
The sixth inning was the big inning for Fox, as Fulton got things going with an RBI double. Then, the mistakes began to ramp up for the Blues. After five first-game errors, Fulton scored on an error before Andree Butler scored on a passed ball to put Fox up 4-1. The Blues fought back to gain control, with Halen Otte scoring after singling on a sac fly to cut the GFU lead to two.
Whitman miscues continued to benefit the Bruins in the eighth. After
Declan Corrigan reached base on a walk, the senior advanced to second on a steal, moved to third on a Butler single, and scored on a wild pitch — putting his team ahead, 5-2.
For the second time in three games, the Bruins sweated it out in the bottom of the ninth. Whitman recorded a pair of hits and loaded the bases with just one out to get Fox on their heels. The Bruins turned to
Cole Schmidt, who walked his first batter to make the score 5-3. The freshman steadied himself, recovered, and promptly retired the next two batters to earn his fourth save of the season and guarantee the Bruins a series win with a 5-3 victory.
Top Performances
Jayson Au Hoy scored three runs with two hits and one RBI for the day, while
Brennan Bates scored four runs for both games combined.
Joey Marasco totaled two runs, four hits, and two RBI, as
Garrett Strube had two runs, four hits, and two RBI for both games.
Meanwhile,
BJ Tokushima made two runs, two hits, and three RBI, and
Adam Fulton made three runs with four hits and five RBI—each game combined. Balingit scored two runs with three hits, while
Matthew Castillo had one run, one hit, and two RBI.
For the pitchers,
Lucas Plenert earned the win in game one with six strikeouts, while
Bryan Ho pitched four innings of relief. For the second game,
Aidan Rady earned the win with just one earned run against in five innings pitched, while
Cole Schmidt earned his fourth save of the young season — a number that will already put him on the program's top 10 lists for season saves.
Coach's Thoughts
"Pair of huge road wins in two polar opposite games today." Bruin head coach
Kevin Kopple said, "I'm proud of the team effort."
What It Means
The Bruins rise to 5-7 (3-2 NWC), while the Blues fall to 3-7 (2-3 NWC) on the season.
What Happens Next
The Bruins will stay in Walla Walla, Wash., to play against the Blues on day two of the weekend series as Fox looks for the sweep. The game is scheduled to start at noon on Sunday, March 8.
